Legacy Switches & blocks Issue

The Legacy 990 U terminal is connected to the outer rails, so blocks with the center rail isolated are fine. 

Bill,

   The men are giving you very good advice, 1st the Block design engineering is for DCS, if you are using just Legacy, Rick O is absolutely correct, no need for them.  However I use both Legacy & DCS and always use the Block wiring method while building layouts.  Use the outer rail with your FT to deliver the Legacy signal separate your mid hot rail and you are good to go.  FasTrack has isolated mini-track for this purpose or make your own.  If you are running DCS also, use the opposite outside rail for your direct 990 Legacy base drop, and then run another 990 Base drop to each Black outside Channel of your TIU, this sets up a double Legacy signal on both outside rails, provides a very strong Legacy signal for your TMCC/Legacy engines.

PCRR/Dave 

RickO posted:

When creating a block you really only need to isolate the "hot" /center rail.

Leaving the jumper wires  on the "block sections" connected on the outer/common rails will deliver the Legacy signal from the rest of the layout.

Run a  "hot" from the transformer to a toggle or BPC unit, then out to the center rail on your block, to power the block when needed.

 Having said all that, I'm not sure what all you have going on on your layout.

 Theoretically you don't "need" any blocks, unless these are areas where your parking locos powered down when they are not being used, or if your using separate transformers for each block.

Rick, the four blocks will be controlled by toggle switches.  I want four blocks so that I can park a train in one, turn the toggle off to that block and run another train between the two loops with the remaining 3 blocks active.

Thanks

Pine Creek Railroad posted:

Bill,

   The men are giving you very good advice, 1st the Block design engineering is for DCS, if you are using just Legacy, Rick O is absolutely correct, no need for them.  However I use both Legacy & DCS and always use the Block wiring method while building layouts.  Use the outer rail with your FT to deliver the Legacy signal separate your mid hot rail and you are good to go.  FasTrack has isolated mini-track for this purpose or make your own.  If you are running DCS also, use the opposite outside rail for your direct 990 Legacy base drop, and then run another 990 Base drop to each Black outside Channel of your TIU, this sets up a double Legacy signal on both outside rails, provides a very strong Legacy signal for your TMCC/Legacy engines.

PCRR/Dave 

Dave, thanks for the reply.  I now know what to do re the Legacy signal distribution.  One more thing I'm not sure about is track power to operate the 031 switches.  All four switches sit between the insulated block sections.  In most cases I would be operating with 2 or more blocks active.  If I understand correctly, that would allow track power to reach the switches.  I have already removed the switches' wires.

Bill H,

   Set your Transformer to 18V, you should have plenty of Track Power to operate all your FTCC low Voltage Switches, you can actually run 99 of them in this manner, especially if you set up your layout in Blocks for DCS.   They all work like a charm form the Cab2, with zero wiring for the new FTCC Switches.  Each FTCC Switch will need to be programmed into the Cab2 individually with a different number, if you want them to work 2 at a time you need to hard wire one switch to another, so they both operate from the 1st FTCC Switches Program.  Remember however if you do something to your new switch, Lionel's warranty might not be any good.  I do not think they ever tested the FTCC Switches, for setting them up in multiples.  I am interested myself to see if 3 or more FTCC Switches hard wired together, work off the single Cab2 programmed Command.  I do think they will, using the hard wire relay.

PCRR/Dave